Foraging ingredients, dreams and family legacy For Promenade Brasserie, Jay Lekopoy draws on his own hard work and lessons from his father and the land
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.75 per week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel anytime.
In elementary school, Jay Lekopoy made himself a promise: by the time he turned 30, he would be running his own restaurant.
With the opening of Promenade Brasserie in St. Boniface last month, the 32-year-old fulfilled that long-held goal — albeit a couple years later than anticipated and with some unexpected challenges along the way.
Lekopoy grew up in Stonewall and got his first job flipping burgers at the Kiln Drive-In before moving into banquet service at Bel Acres Golf and Country Club, “which was, you know, almost 10 minutes away from home,” he says with a laugh.
RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The father-son Lekopoy duo had been busy scouting locations when father Del Lekopoy died suddenly in February 2022. ‘We were incredibly close,’ says Promenade’s Jay Lekopoy.
The latter gave him an education in finer dining and paved the way for an apprenticeship at The Gates on Roblin through Red River College Polytechnic’s culinary program.
Lekopoy returned to the golf course for a stint after school and then promptly exited the restaurant industry.
“I wanted to try something different,” he says of the decision to take a job as a labourer for a local agricultural company.
Tasting Notes
Promenade Brasserie, 130 Provencher Blvd.
Open Wednesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Visit promenadebrasserie.ca for more information
Promenade has three daily menus based heavily on local ingredients — breakfast, brunch and lunch are offered until 3 p.m., after which a selection of small plates and hearty mains become available. Owner Jay Lekopoy is aiming for Prairie cuisine that ties into his Métis heritage — a concept that is still very much in flux, he says.
Promenade Brasserie, 130 Provencher Blvd.
Open Wednesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Visit promenadebrasserie.ca for more information
Promenade has three daily menus based heavily on local ingredients — breakfast, brunch and lunch are offered until 3 p.m., after which a selection of small plates and hearty mains become available. Owner Jay Lekopoy is aiming for Prairie cuisine that ties into his Métis heritage — a concept that is still very much in flux, he says.
While the Apple Braised Pork Belly ($22) is designed to be split, diners might have trouble sharing this flavourful, well-balanced dish. The pork is fatty, fork-tender and crisp all at once. It’s served with a deep, rich apple jus and topped with a creamy slaw and very salty house-made dill pickles.
The Pemmican Tartare ($22) is distinct. A play on the utilitarian Indigenous staple that fueled the fur trade, it’s made with raw chopped bison and beef, fresh thyme, pickled mustard seeds and macerated Saskatoon berries. The result is a slightly sweet and herbaceous dish that, while tasty, shares little resemblance to a traditional steak tartare.
Promenade has a rotating seasonal gnocchi special ($21). The summer version features an umami-filled tomato broth, fresh local basil and lightly pickled shallots. The ricotta gnocchi is pillowy soft and perfectly executed.
The restaurant’s daytime menus include a selection of classic breakfast items, sweet and savoury fry bread dishes, soups, salads and sandwiches.
Tasting Notes is an ongoing series about Winnipeg restaurants, new and old, meant to offer diners a taste of what’s on the menu.
He dabbled in the “family business” of car sales for a time and, when the sales side of the job proved to be a difficult moneymaker, rejoined the restaurant world — this time as a bartender at Browns Socialhouse. Lekopoy rose through the ranks quickly, becoming a general manager for the national chain, which operates three locations in Winnipeg.
The experience pulled his dreams of restaurant ownership back into focus.
He knew how to run a kitchen and a dining room, but needed an analytic partner to balance his creative bent. Lekopoy tapped his father, Del Lekopoy, a longtime car-dealership accountant, to crunch the numbers while he dreamed up branding, cocktails and menu items.
The father-son duo had been busy scouting locations when Del died suddenly in February 2022.
“We were incredibly close,” Lekopoy says, adding that the pair were keen to create a business that paid homage to their Métis background — a paternal lineage both men had started learning more about in adulthood.
“We were on this fantastic journey, where we had always had that as part of our heritage, but we never really looked it in the face to understand what that meant for us.”
Del was born in Cranberry Portage, a small community 700 kilometres north of Winnipeg surrounded by thick boreal forest and freshwater lakes. He grew up in the bush, camping, fishing and tending the family’s trapline.
The younger Lekopoy joined his dad and uncle on wilderness expeditions, where fireside conversations often turned to tales of local lore.
RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The summer offering of Promenade’s rotating seasonal gnocchi special ($21) is an umami-filled tomato broth, fresh local basil and lightly pickled shallots. The ricotta gnocchi is pillowy soft and perfectly executed.
“One of my dad’s favourite hobbies was Sasquatch hunting,” he says. “We would have debates over does this or that exist and what’s plausible… (but) there was definitely some times where you couldn’t explain every footprint you found.”
As he got more interested in food, Lekopoy started looking at the bush as a source of culinary inspiration. He connected with a knowledge keeper who enlightened him on the practice of foraging and has tried to incorporate versions of local flora and fauna in the menu at Promenade.
His father’s death was a gut-punch. Lekopoy took time off to grieve and settle Del’s estate, while keeping the restaurant venture in the back of his mind. A chance meeting with Shawn Brandson, former owner of Promenade Café and Wine, offered an opportunity to take over a well-loved establishment in an ideal location.
“Knowing the significance of this particular area of Manitoba, everything just seemed to line up with the concept I was working on… It made sense to just absolutely go for it.”–Jay Lekopoy
“Knowing the significance of this particular area of Manitoba, everything just seemed to line up with the concept I was working on,” he says of the 70-seat restaurant with wide windows overlooking the Provencher Bridge and The Forks. “It made sense to just absolutely go for it.”
After 11 years in business, Brandson and his wife announced the closure of Promenade last summer after struggling with pandemic-era staffing issues. Lekopoy got the keys in March and decided to keep the name — with the addition of “Brasserie” — as a nod to the original establishment.
“It’s a wonderful name that fits this spot,” he says.
Diners will recognize the familiar antique counter and furniture pieces, but there’s new art and a fresh coat of paint on the walls.
RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The history-infused Pemmican Tartare ($22) combines raw chopped bison and beef, fresh thyme, pickled mustard seeds and macerated Saskatoon berries.
Opening Promenade Brasserie has been the realization of a childhood dream and a chance to move forward.
“The family has really come out of the woodwork,” Lekopoy says, adding that relatives travelled from all over for the soft launch. “The last year we had been gathering for loss; to gather for something to celebrate was really meaningful.”
While he’s embarking on a new adventure full of unknowns, Lekopoy can be certain about one thing: Del would be proud. “Very proud,” he says.
eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com
Twitter: @evawasney
